Mail-box.



A. PLUDOWSKI.

MAIL BOX.

APPLICATION man JULY 24. 1916- 1,220,549. Patented Mar. 27, 1917.

EUNETED TATEZ @lFlFllQE.

ALEK-SANIDER PLUDOVVSKI, F WATERBURY, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR GE T0 STANISLAW ORLOWSKI AND ONE-THIRD TO 'WLADYSLAVV SZCZEPANIAK, BOT E OF wA'rEnBUnY, CONNECTICUT.

MAIL-BOX.

Application filed July 24, 1916.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that l, ALEKSANDER PLU- nowsxi, a subject of the Czar of Russia. residing at l'Vaterburv, in the county of New Haven and State of Connecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Mail-Boxes, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to certain new useful improvements in mail boxes.

The primary object of the invention is the provision of a safety device for mail boxes in the nature of a normally closed cover slide to? the mail entrance slot thereof :ulapted for automatically operating a closure member for the receptable upon opening the slide.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a safety means within a mail box reventing any access to the mail containing chamber when the entrance slot of the box is open for use, an automatically operated closure being provided for the said slot, the said safety means being withdrawn when the slide is closed.

With these general objects in view and others that will appear as the nature of the invention is better understood, the same consists in the novel construction, combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter more fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and then claimed.

. In the drawings forming a part of this application and in which like designating characters refer to corresponding parts throughout the several views Figure 1 is a front elevation of a mail box provided with the present device.

Fig. 2 is an end elevation thereof partly broken away and partly shown in vertical section.

Fig. 3 is a transverse horizontal sectional and view taken through the device.

Fig. d is a central vertical longitudinal section taken through the upper portion thereof.

Fig. 5 is a perspective View of the swinging safety plate employed with the device, and,

Fig. 6 is a perspective View of the closure slide for the mail entrance slot adapted for cooperation with the said plate.

The present invention is designed to prevent tampering with the deposited mail in any form of mail box employing an entrance Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 2?, 1917.

Serial no. 110,981.

slot and the same is herein illustrated in connection with a box 10 having a mail entrance slot 11 in the front side 12, the mail matter being deposited into the receiving chamber 13 through the said slot and removable therefrom through the normally closed end door 14.

A closure member or slide 15 is slidably arranged inwardly of the slot 11 shiftably positioned within angular guide-ways or strips 16 carried by the inner face of the said side The slide 15 isnormally maintained in its closed position inwardly of the slot ll by means of a coil spring 17 secured at one end to an eye 18 in one end of the slide 15, the said spring being attached at its 0pposite end to an eye 19 in the end 20 of the box.

A safety plate 21 is swingingly mounted within the box 10 by means of a trunnioning rod 22 extending through the ends of the box, the said plate being normally maintained at a slight inclination by means of oppositely positioned stops 23 carried by the ends of the box. A lug 24 projects inwardly at right angles from the end of the closure slide bearing the eye 18, the said lug being triangular in cross-section and normally positioned adjacent an inclined wedging surface 25 formed in the upper adjacent corner of the plate 21 by cutting away the said corner as at 26. An operating rod 27 projects from the opposite end of the slide 15 from the eye 18 and extends through the end 28 of the box 1.0 opposite the end 20 thereof and is arranged with a stop shoulder 29 thereon as well as a handle or knob 30 by means of which the rod is readily actuated.

It will be understood that the spring 17 normally maintains the slide'15 in its closed position inwardly of the slot 11 at which time the shoulder 29 engages the end 28 of the box 10 with the lug 24 adjacent the wedging face of the plate 21. In this position of the device, no mail matter can be inserted through the slot 11 and when de sired to insert mail therethrough, the knob 30 is grasped and the slide 15 shifted toward the end 28 away from the slot 11. This movement of the slide 15 engages the lug 24 against the inner upper edge 81 of the wedging face 25 forcibly shifting the plate 21 to its horizontal position as illustrated by dotted lines in Fig. 2 of the drawing. When the plate 21 is so arranged horizontally, the

7 the mail matter is so inserted, the knob 30 is released whereupon the spring 17 automatically closes the slide 15 with respect to the slot 11 while the plate 21 falls of its own weight to its normal inclined position in contact with the stops 23. A serviceable safety device is presented making provision for the normal closing of the entrance slot and also obstructing free access to the mail receiving chamber when the slot is open for the reception of mail.

hat I claim as new is A mail-box having a slidable closure for 7 its mail-recoiying slot, said closure having outstanding at right angles therefrom at one end, a lug with an inclined lower face, said closure also being provided with operable 1neans accessible from without, a pivotally suspended plate or guard having an inclined wedging-shoulder at its upper edge adapted to be engaged in a plane at right angles to the movement thereof by said lower inclined face of said lug, whereby said pivotally suspended plate may be moved into a horizontal position to guard against surreptitious access to the mail-box when depositing mail thereinto, and upon which plate the mail may be received and temporarily re tained, and means for automatically returning said slidable closure to initial closed position and whereby said pivotally suspenthd plate is allowed to simultaneously assume its initial or lowered position.

Intestimony whereof I affix my signature.

ALEKSANDER PLUDOWSKI.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. 0. Y 

